Help! Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone – Can You Share Some Blogging Etiquette?

How silly is this, writing my very first blog post and I don’t have a single follower?

I might as well be writing to a black hole in cyberspace or talkin’ to an invisible wall. I’ve been following a few blogs to see what it’s all about. A bit overwhelming, to say the least.

There are millions of you out there. I’m but a tiny speck, smaller than the itsy bitsy spider on your local web. It reminds me of one of my favorite Dr. Zeuss books, “Horton Hears a Who.” Hello, hello, is anyone there? Can you hear me?

I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective, and one should keep in mind, after all, that a blogger’s a blogger no matter how small!

Anyhoo, if you’re there, anyone, anywhere in the worldwide blogosphere, before getting my feet wet, I need help from you. The last thing I want to do is to start off on the wrong foot, step on your web toes, and be written off as a cyberspace case who’s throwing a party, but nobuddy comes. So, do you have any tips for good etiquette in blogging?

O.K. Carol was your first guest, but I'm your first follower. Woo-hoo! LOL! It looks awesome, LynNerd. I had to laugh when I read on your email that you had a white font against a white background. Too, funny! And super cool that you can click on your Cyclop's Clyde and go directly to Amazon! Very cool blog, Zombud! You're off to a great start! 🙂

Omigosh! I nearly fainted when I saw three followers! What a thrill after such a trying day! Woo hoo!Maria and Stephanie, I think it's a tie as to which of you was first because you must have been commenting at the same time! And, Maria, it took me another hour and a half after I called you to figure out what the problem was. Yep, white font on a white background just doesn't cut it! Tricia, thanks so much for all the tips helping me get started on my blog. I'm thrilled you signed up to follow. Thanks for all your encouragement. You guys rock!

Wen, I love "bloggiverse." Very cool term. Your blog etiquette is fine. I've been learaning a lot from following you. Yay, you're my fourth follower. This is pretty darn exciting!Rillie, Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you like the photo, and you're pretty good at stepping out of your comfort zone, too. I couldn't have done that schmooze presentation without following your lead.

LynNerd–Thanks for stopping by my blog, and congrats on your first blog post. I hope you find the blogging community to be a supportive and kind one–I certainly have. As far as etiquette goes–I think the saying do unto others works pretty well. Although Elana Johnson has some straightforward advice on blog building here: http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/p/building-better-blog.htmlI'm glad you're here!

Hi Melody! Thanks for checking out my blog. I'm so glad you think my post is funny. My goal was to make people chuckle.Hello Heather. Great etiquette advice about do unto others, and thanks so much for Elana Johnson's link. I read her posts right away, and what a huge help. Now, that's what I call getting support from the blogging community, so thanks again, Heather. That's the kind of help I was looking for!Hey Margo, You make the adventure sound like a blast. I hope it is. So far, I like it! Thank you for stopping by and for the two referral links. I'll check them both out. Laura Pauling also mentioned Lisa Gail Green's post for today about blogging etiquette. What a coincidence that there's a perfectly-timed post that specifically answers my question. You can bet I'll check out both links you recommend. Thanks a bunch!

Hey You Guys,I got two refferals to visit Lisa Gail Green's post for today, which is all about blogging etiquette. Thanks, Laura Pauling and Margo Berendsen for the referral. Here's Lisa's link: http://paranormalpointofview.blogspot.comIt's definitely worth your time to read it if you're a brand new newbie like me, or even if you're experienced! (Wink! Wink! – See, I'm getting the hang of the blog lingo – Well, maybe.)

Hot dog, Jonathan! I just went to your blog and left a comment thanking you for stopping by my blog. When I got back here, I noticed that you signed up to follow me, too. Thanks so much! And it's good to know that I'm not invisible after all!Hi Lisa, I'm so glad you like the silly picture. It kind of captures the true me! When I figure out where the heck some video clips of me are in this new Mac laptop of me trying to figure out why the heck the preview of the book trailer I was working on wasn't playing, I'll have to post them. I'm sure I look like a complete imbecile searching the screen, wondering why the trailer wasn't playing. I accidentally hit the "record video" button instead of the "Play" button. Bet I look like a contender for beauty queen webster – Swollen red eyes (from tears of frustrataion due to trial & error, delete, trial & error, delete. Still in my PJ's at the end of the day, hair all ratty.) I wonder if anyone would believe it's real and I'm not putting them on. I wonder where my computer stored it. Hmm. . .Anyway, thanks for your great advice and for the well wishes.

Welcome to the fun-land! Blogging is great, but you have to find your groove with it. The only way to do that is to wade in and start – which you're doing! So, go you!I might have to do a post on blogging etiquette, but Lisa Gail Green just did one and it's awesome.Best of luck to you!

You're a natural! It's taken me ages to figure this blogging thing out. Thanks so much for all the thoughtful comments at the Write Game. I especially appreciated the help you gave about TV interviews. See you again soon and so glad you hopped into this vast, rather peculiar sphere. 🙂

Hi SuperB! So glad you visited my site. I'll be very careful not to write about anything that would embarrass the family! Haha! Hello Susan. Thanks for stopping by. You're so right about having to find your groove. I like reading everyone's blogs and the comments, but I can see it getting quite overwhelming if you try to follow hundreds of blogs and keep up with it all. So I'll wade in slowly. Thanks!C. Lee, you're welcome. My other advice would be to have fun. That's what it's all about. I hope your interview rocks. That will be a big feather in your cap. Let us know when you post it.

It looks like you are on your way, with some great followers! Blogging is a great way to "meet" other writers. You'll find a very supportive group in the blog world. Congratulations on your first post! 🙂

Sharon, Thanks for visiting my site and for signing up as a follower. I agree that blogging is a super way to meet other writers. I think it will be fun and interesting to follow everyone's progress. So far, yes, I'm finding lots of support from the blogging community. Love it!

Lynda, thanks for stopping by and signing up. I visited your blog and also your CPs new blog. Very cool!Susan, thanks for mentioning me in your blog. Your heart-felt advice about blogging is very much appreciated. Nice job.Hi Chantele. Thanks for your comment and for signing up. Excellent advice about not ranting about huge topics. I imagine it's easy to carried away on a bad day, but you're right, no one wants to hear it!

Hi Katie! You said it! I'm still trying to get my bearings. I don't know if leaving a response to a comment on my own blog here will even get back to the person who left a comment! I'm starting off with baby steps for now!

Lynn, I love that you're blogging now, and the pics of you are totally funny! I love it. 🙂 I know lots of people commented, but I wanted to share one of the things I myself have learned about blogging. Even if nobody comments on a particular post, that certainly doesn't mean nobody's reading it. You should always assume more people are following your writing that you think, because that's usually the case, and that's a good thing!

So glad you stopped by, Tommy! Thanks for your comments. That's an excellent point for us to keep in mind, that there are always (hopefully) people who are reading the posts but don't have time to leave a comment. I'll remember that.

Hi Lynn – Good luck with the launch! I just launched mine a couple months ago after one of the Torrance Children's Book meetups (speaking of – were you at the Getting Published one? with the dog named Summer? I saw your comment on Nutschell's page and the pic looked familiar but wasn't sure exactly why). Anyhow, I digress. I found this site really helpful for etiquette and launch tips and techniques, so I wanted to pass it along to you. Hope you glean something great off of it! http://www.avivadirectory.com/successful-blog-launch/

Hi Alana,Wow, thanks for this site. I guess I have a lot, lot, lot to learn! I launched my blog with one post! And I just signed up for the Delicious bookmarking, but I'm not sure what that's all about yet! I'll take it one step at a time. No, I wasn't at the Getting Published meeting. Nutschell did an interview of BBH McChiller (of which I'm one-third!) so maybe that's why it seemed familiar. I appreciate your help.

A blog seems like a glob, perhaps without quite the mess. A big blogger may require a handkerchief, or you may be akin to a slob, not far from blogdom. A stained blog is a blot, whereas a mean blog comment is a flog. A long winded blog is a blow, and connected blog comments are blox. A blog going nowhere is a bog. For you, LN, I have signed up for a Google account and made up all these absurdities. I feel a blogache coming on…

Alana, I just found your comment under the "comment needs moderation" section on my dashboard. Sorry it took so long to publish your comment. Aha, I have many new things to learn about running a blog! Jiffy, Sounds like you have a bit of Seuss in yer blood! Bet all those little booger bloggers would follow your absurdities. I hope I don't have a bog blog or a clogged blog! And a sad blog could cause a weeping soggy blog, as could spilling grog. And no one likes a blog hog. Love, love, love the "blogache coming on." I'll remember that one! With all these absurdities, this is now a groggy blog.